Volume : 2 | Issue : 10 | October 2013 ISSN No 2277

- 8179

Research
Paper

Microbiology

total of 20
Kingdom
ofsamples

Bacterialcontamination,

A
Pr
Dr. Khatib
eli
Sayeed
Ismail
mi
na
ry
St
ud
y
of
AB
Ba
ct
eri
Intrduction:
Microorganisms
are found everywhere.
al
Most of them are found on the things we use in our daily
lives. They are found in our houses, offices, cars, gardens,
hospitals and everywhere (Reyn-olds et al. 2007). The
KE
presence of normal flora on humans and the existence of
microbes
in the environment are the factors resulting to
YW
this. Bacterial contaminants have been found in kitchens,
playground
equipment, office desks, computer keyOR
boards, escalator buttons, etc. Studies have found
elevator
but-tons to be a hot spot for bacterial
DS
contamination. Al-Ghamdi et al. (2011) described 96%
contamination of elevator buttons in shopping malls and
Elevcontamination in residential buildings. Researchers
98%
have found that an elevator button harbors nearly 40
The
of Science building has more than 5000
atorfaculty
times
as many germs as a toilet seat. These
:
students
and Staff
members.
And
are adiseases
total of
contaminants
can be
a source
forthere
different
s,
(Bloomfield,
2008).
10 elevators.
The present study was undertaken to

study
Prel the bacterial contami-nants found in elevators
used by staff and students of the Fac-ulty of Science,

imi

Jazan
University.
Materials
and
Methods:
The
study
was
carriedout
nar
in the Department of Biology, Col-lege of Science,
y
Jazan
University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from
A total of 20 samples were collected using sterile
January
to March 2011.
stu
cotton swabs from buttons of 4 different elevators (5

dy
samples
each from 4 elevators) in the faculty of
science building, Jazan University,

Co
nta
mi
nat
ion
fro
m
Ele
vat
ors

Department of
Biology, College of
Science, Jazan
University, Jazan,

ST
RA
CT
Facult
y of
Scien
ce
buildi
ng,
Jazan
Unive
rsity,
Jazan
,
Kingd
om of
Saudi
Arabi
a. A

(n = 20) were collected using

sterile cotton swabs from buttons of 4 different
elevators (5 samples each from 4 elevators). Samples
Saudi
Arabia,onP.Nutrient agar and MacConkeys agar.
were isolated
The agars were incubated at 37C for 24 hours and
for growth. The colonies were subjected to
O.observed
Box: 2079
Grams staining and observed under a microscope. All
the samples (100%) showed bacterial contami-nation.
Staphylococcus species (20 samples, 100%), Gram
The
presentbacilli (9 samples, 45%), Streptococci spp. (6
negative
study
aims 30%)
to
samples,
and Gram positive bacilli (3 samples,
understand
15%) were isolated. Staphylococcus species was most
the
level of followed by Gram negative bacilli,
dominant
bacterial
Streptococci and Gram positive bacilli. Staphylococcus
contaminatio
aureus was isolated from 75% samples. Three samples
n of
elevator
(15%) were found contaminated by single type of
buttons at
bacteria while 85% samples were contaminated by
the
more than 1 type of bacteria. The pres-ence of
bacterial contaminants on elevators indicated the
probable
tool
for
spread
of
pathogenic
microorganisms.
Jaz
an,
Sau
di
Ara
bia.
Sa
mpl
es
wer
e
isol
ate
d
on
ster
ile
Nut
rien
t
aga
r
and
Ma
cCo
nke
ys
aga
r
(Hi
me
dia
Lab
s,
Indi
a).
The
aga
rs
wer
e
pre
par
ed
as
per
the

instructions provided with the media. The agars weresamples, 45%), Streptococci spp. (6 samples,
incubated at 37C for 24 hours and observed for growth.30%) and Gram positive bacilli (3 samples, 15%)
27colonies
Stap
.Staph.aureus
Colonies were counted using a colony counter. Smearswere isolatedspp(Fig. 3).
Staphylococcus species
h.
19 coloniesspp.
were prepared from the isolated colonies and were Elevator 1
was the most dominant followed by Gram
subjected to Grams staining technique (Cheesebrough,
GNB
Staph. aureus
negative bacilli, Streptococci and Gram positive
65colonies
Stap
2006). The slides were observed under oil immersion lens
10colonies
spp
.Staph.aureus
bacilli. Staphylococcus
aureus was
isolated from
Staph
.sp
of a microscope.
h.

75%
samples.
Three samplesp. (15%) were
Elevator
2
In
thepresent study, all the samples showed bacterialcontaminated by single type of bacteria, while
contami-nation (100%). As seen in table 1. Elevator 1 was the
GNB, GPB
most con-taminated, followed by elevator number 2 and
85% samples were contami-nated by more than 1
elevator number
Results:

type of bacteria.
GPB5colonies Staph.
3 was the least contaminated. As seen in Table
figure1:1,
Elevator
3
spp.
bacterial colo-ny count was most on button Distribu
3 (ground
floor) with 243 colonies and was the
most
tion of
GNBspp. Staph.
Microor
contaminated, followed by button 5 (close door)
with
Elevator 4 aureus
ganisms
195 colony count. Button 2 (second floor) was the least
isolated
contaminated with 59 colonies.
from
Key:127 colonies
different Total
As seen in Fig 2. An average of 63.2% colonies
were
Staph.spp. =
Elevator

spp9colonie
s.

Staph.

coloniesspp.

Staph. aureus
Staph.
aureus

59

colonies

taphyl
ococcus

spp.

GNB

7colonies
Stap
spp
.Staph.
.
us

aureusStaph.sppGNB.Sta Staph
p.
ph.
Staph
=

8colonies

243colonies

.au

Species

seen in ele-vator 1. From our samples, Staphylococcus

buttons.
species (20 samples, 100%), Gram negative bacilli (9
Volume : 2 | Issue : 10 | October 2013 ISSN No 2277
- 8179

200

IJSR - INT
RESEARC

Research
Paper

Discussion:

surveillance Vol 13/ 4-6, Apr 2008. | | Cheesebrough M. (2006). District

Laboratory Practice in Tropical Countries. Ed 2, Vol. 2. Cambridge
occurrence of bacterial contaminants
University Press. |

The
in elevators was stud-ied. All the samples showed
bacterial contaminants (100%). These results are in
correlation with the study of Al-Ghamdi et al (2011).
They found 96% contamination in elevator buttons in
shopping malls and 98% contamination in residential
buildings. Our study showed 2 % more bacterial
contaminants. This may be because of high student
number using the elevators.

Elevator 1 is the most contaminated elevator

with a total bacte-rial count of 316 colony count
followed by elevator number 2 with 198 colonies
then elevator number 4 (123 colonies) and then
elevator 3 (96 colonies). Elevator number 1 is
closest to the main gate of the Faculty of science
building and is most likely to be used more than
the other elevators and is the most contaminated. Elevator number 2 is farther from the
main gate and is next likely to be used by the
students and was found to be the next most
contaminated elevator. However, the elevators 3
and 4 are farthest away from the main gate and
are comparatively less used by the students and
thus, found least contaminated. This indicates
that the elevator most in use is the one that is
near to the main gate and hence, has the highest
rate of con-tamination.
Staphylococcus species were isolated from
all the elevator samples. These were not
showing yellow colored colonies.
Staphylococcus aureus was found in 75 % samples
followed
by
Gram
negative
bacilli
(40%),
Streptococci (30%), and Gram posi-tive bacilli
(15%). Al-Ghamdi et al. also found Staphylococcus
spe-cies in 84% of their elevator samples followed
by 60 % Gram posi-tive bacilli, 11 % Staphylococcus
aureus and 7% Gram negative bacilli. The high
percent of Staphylococcus aureus in our study is
alarming because of its potentially pathogenic
nature.

The

Conclu

ion:

present

study

thus,

gives

us

the

importance of hand hygiene which would decrease the

microbial load of hands. And there is the necessity to
frequently use disinfectants to clean elevator buttons to
decrease spread of potential pathogenic microorganisms in society. Further detailed studies are however
required.

IJSR - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC

RESEARCH